Indian Architecture
A rich and diverse history of architectural styles that have evolved over thousands of years across the Indian subcontinent.
Contents
Indian architecture spans more than four thousand years, from the planned brick cities of the Indus Valley to the stone temples, forts and tombs of later kingdoms. Local materials, climate and religious traditions gave each region a character of its own.
Early cities
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were laid out on grids, with baked-brick houses and covered drains. Their engineering remained unmatched in the region for many centuries.
Temple traditions
Hindu temples developed into several regional styles.
Nagara
The northern Nagara style is known for its curved tower, the shikhara. The Konark Sun Temple in Odisha is one of its grandest expressions.
Dravida
The southern Dravida style uses a stepped tower called a vimana, and later temples added massive gateway towers known as gopurams.
Indo-Islamic buildings
From the twelfth century, domes, arches and geometric ornament blended with local craftsmanship. The Taj Mahal in Agra, completed in the seventeenth century, is the best known result.
Modern era
Colonial builders mixed European and local forms, and after independence architects such as B. V. Doshi developed a modern language suited to Indian life.
Influence abroad
Temple forms from India shaped monuments across Southeast Asia, most famously at Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur in Java.